Ottawa Homes

Outdoor oasis on a budget

Ah ... summer! The days are longer and the air is fragrant with blossoms and lawn clippings as people bustle about, preparing their outdoor rooms for its grand seasonal entrance. This is a perfect time for new beginnings and first impressions.

Whether you have a new home in an area that is lacking in foliage or one that is nestled into a mature neighbourhood, your yard is the defining space that sets it apart from the rest of its surroundings.

How do you transform your home’s outdoor look to be welcoming at the front door and a refreshing respite in the backyard? We decided to tackle that challenge with a budget of $1,000.

Seeking out expert advice is always a good place to start. So we went to Sheryl Beuerlein, a St. Albert, Alta., entrepreneur who understands the importance of creating visually stunning environments. And she’s done more than add pizzazz to her own property. She’s growing a business: In Bloom Custom Container Planting.

In Bloom evolved as Beuerlein created arrangements for clients who wanted spectacular displays for front entrances and outdoor gardens, with free-standing planters, containers and window boxes. Serving residential and commercial clients, Beuerlein offers a range of services that include design plans, planting materials, container esthetics as well as maintenance recommendations. While Beuerlein leads the shopping expedition, her clients learn about the variety of plants that are suited for their home and how they work together.

For this project, we asked Beuerlein to design a container garden. With a budget of $250, Beuerlein put together a fresh display of cheerful yellow florals amid cool green foliage.

She used four square, black planters in various heights and sizes for visual interest. The dark base helps to ground the display, setting up a perfect backdrop for the green and yellow plants. Beuerlein applies the same design principles to these outside rooms as an interior designer would to an interior space.

"I always consider two basic elements when designing: texture and proportion," she explains.

The customizing comes into effect as she takes into consideration the house colour and style, container colour and style, light exposure, client preferences and budget as well as maintenance requirements.

Clients often have pre-existing containers, window boxes and planters that need to be reinvented with inspiring creations — a great way to reuse what you have while reducing costs. Beuerlein is frequently called in after clients have attempted to create planter-style gardens on their own. But the DIY efforts are missing the ‘wow’ factor.

“The thing people find most difficult is choosing plants that work well together,” says Beuerlein. “Just because a plant looks nice next to another plant doesn’t mean it will coexist well.”

Lighting, soil and water requirements must be taken into consideration so the end result provides exactly “the ambience the client desires.”

With spectacular planters providing the inspirational design for an outside room, a trip to Canadian Tire provided additional creative elements — while keeping to our $1,000 budget.

Fire pits and fire bowls are popular accessories for patios and decks. These units provide the esthetics of a fire along with the functionality of heat — an impressive feature on a cool spring evening.

The Scroll Fire Bowl from Canadian Tire is constructed of solid steel on the inside, enveloped outside with a decorative scroll design.

At $149.99, this design element is worth considering for any outdoor space.

What would an outdoor room be without furniture? Comfortable conversation sets have become very popular for decks and patios. The Riverview five-piece ensemble is affordably priced and offers a comfortable design.

This set includes a loveseat, two armchairs and a coffee table for $299.99. With its heavy-duty, powder-coated steel frame, the seating area is both attractive and comfortable, with weather-resistant polyester-covered cushions. Depending on how you wish to use this set, the tempered glass coffee table can be repositioned as a side table, allowing the fire bowl to be the centre of the conversation.

The beauty of an outdoor room is the space it provides, but there are times when you’re looking for a cosy setting. Defining parameters has advantages. The Yada Steel Trellis Panel Gazebo from Home Depot ($249) offers the best of both worlds for the backyard.

This three-by-three-metre gazebo provides an airy frame that allows the refreshing breeze to circulate the sitting area. Backyard life isn’t always that idyllic, as we all know. Biting insects, persistent rain or intense sun are issues that interfere with the enjoyment of our outdoor space. This gazebo features netting and a water-resistant, double-tiered canopy that will allow you to stay outside long after your neighbours have run inside for cover.

For the final expenditure in our $1,000 budget for the outdoor room, I recommend the Melbourne Collection of Gazebo Net Lights ($34.99 at Canadian Tire). These lights fit any three-by-three-metre canopy and provide a starry-night effect inside your gazebo.

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